Automatic multiple spindle chucking machines of the Acme Gridley, New Britain, Connomatic, Schutte, Gildemeister, and other similar machines have workholders of the chuck, collet, or like type associated respectively with their spindles for selectively holding and releasing workpieces. Thus, a plurality of workpieces or parts are accommodated and the machine work holders are indexed successively through several machining stations to a transfer station. At the transfer station, the workpieces or parts are loaded and unloaded with the chucks or collets operating automatically. The machines are adapted for relatively high rates of production and are efficient in their operation. The part loading and unloading operations, however, have been carried out manually in the past and ordinarily require one operator per machine.
It is a general object of the present invention to provide a workpiece storing and handling apparatus adapted to load and/or unload workpieces or parts in a multiple work holder machine in a fast and efficient operation, the apparatus including a magazine for storing a plurality of like workpieces or parts and adapted for manual loading so that a single operator can handle two or more multiple work holder machines.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide apparatus of the type mentioned wherein a workpiece transfer arm is operable between a transfer station at the workpiece magazine, a ready position, and a transfer station at a machine work holder, the arm being movable in a composite arcuate motion between the magazine and the ready position and movable linearly between the ready position and the work holder transfer station whereby to both properly position and orient a workpiece at each of the three positions.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned wherein cooperative motion transmitting means and power operating means associated with the transfer arm provide for the necessary composite arcuate arm motion through a simple and efficient mechanism which simultaneously rotates the arm about two discrete axes.
A still further object of the invention resides in the provision of an apparatus of the type mentioned wherein a single fluid cylinder is adapted to provide transfer arm movement about both discrete axes simultaneously.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the type mentioned which is adapted for both loading and unloading workpieces or parts in a multiple work holder machine.
A still further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the type mentioned which is wholly self-powered and self-contained and portable and adapted to be readily connected and disconnected from a multiple work holder machine.